Canelli: Boston stronger

Saturday

Apr 12, 2014 at 8:59 AM

Charlotte Canelli

Many of us remember where and when we first learned that President Kennedy was assassinated, that the twin towers had been struck on Sept. 11, and that kindergarteners were murdered in cold blood in the classrooms at Sandy Hook Elementary School. We hold that coffee cup again, we shake our heads in disbelief, we stare at the television screen or the words on a computer monitor. We wonder how we will face the world we now know and we mourn for the lives of childhoods that have lost their innocence.Most of us also remember where we were when we first heard the staggering announcement that there was a bombing at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon.Gerry and I were bicycling along Buzzard’s Bay on that bright and beautiful April 15 day. It was our first day out after a chilly spring and our cycling was interrupted by calls from our children living in cities outside of Massachusetts. They wanted to be assured that we had not traveled into Boston.We returned home that afternoon to follow news reports and waited out the week, glued to computer monitors and television screens that Friday when Watertown and the rest of the Boston metropolitan area "sheltered in place" – an unfamiliar expression to most of us.It was surreal and in Norwood – where life went on as it usually did – we couldn’t imagine the strange, eerie scene that was played out just miles to our north.A year later, we’ve witnessed the courage and strength of survivors who are learning to walk and dance again. We’ve heard the stories of fear and we’ve remained angry at the two young men who managed to rain despair and terror at the finish line.Not surprisingly, there are several books that have just hit the library shelves, or will in the next few weeks. Some memorialize the event for a world of readers. Some are a cathartic end to a year of disbelief. And another is an amazing story of courage written by one survivor whose face none of us will ever forget."4:09:03" by Hal Higdon was released on April 1. Referring to when the first bomb exploded, Hidgeon, a contributing editor at "Runner’s World," tells the story of the marathon through the experiences of runners – those caught in the tragic moments of the day. Much of the book depends on a solitary story told through social media - Facebook and blog posts of nearly 75 runners.In the past year, Michael Connelly revised and updated version of "26.2 Miles to Boston," first published in 2003. Connelly includes interviews he conducted with runners who ran in 2013 and those who plan to run in 2014. Four-time Boston Marathon winner, the iconic Bill Rodgers, wrote the foreword to the book."Long Mile Home" was released on Feb. 13. Award-winning reporters for the Boston Globe, Scott Hellman and Jenna Russell, include their original reports with interviews and stories of runners of the race, safety officers and marathon officials, spectators, survivors and victims. This book does not stop at the finish line or the events immediately afterward. It continues through the fearful scenes of the Boston region through the end of that shocking week.Within months, the PBS documentary series "Nova" focused on the manhunt, aided by technological tools and investigative techniques. Some of the more intriguing forensics are explained – facial recognition, bomb-blast analysis, thermal imaging – those complex techniques most of us first became aware of during that long week waiting for the suspects to be identified.Other books published in time for the anniversary of the tragedy include "The Boston Marathon: A Celebration of the World’s Premier Race" by Tom Derderian and Bill Rodgers, (April 1, 2014) includes a tribute to the victims of the 2013 bombing."If Not for the Perfect Stranger," edited by Diane Monteil, focuses on the people who saved lives that day – spectators, runners, first responders. In "Remember Boston," edited by Gail Cleare with photography by Steve Alexander, photographs of running shoes, messages flowers and stuffed animals tell the story of grief and shock. The memorials were relocated, but the items, left outdoors, were falling apart over time. This book captures the words and images before they were preserved by the Boston Archives.Suvivor Jeff Bauman’s autobiography "Stronger," tells the take of one of the victims who we all saw our computer monitors, front-page of the newspaper, and television screens in a wheelchair, severely injured and missing both legs.On Tuesday, April 16, Jeff contributed one of the most important clues to solving the crimes committed that day. "Saw the guy. Looked right at me," were the words that the FBI was waiting for. Bauman gave even more details as he recovered that day.A year later, aided by prosthetic legs, Bauman will be signing copies of his book this month. "Stronger" is the story of the 117th Boston Marathon from heartache to survival.If you need assistance finding any of these items in the Minuteman Library catalog, please call or visit the library.Charlotte Canelli is the director of the Morrill Memorial Library.